Events

CS Colloquium: Predicting Human Gene-regulatory Functions from DNA Sequence

Speaker: Johannes Linder, Calico Life Sciences

Location: 60 Fifth Avenue, Room C15

Date: Thursday, April 3, 2025

There is a regulatory code written in DNA and RNA sequences that controls gene expression and isoform processing. Developing accurate models of this code is crucial for advancing human health - such models allow us to interpret harmful genetic mutations and design improved regulatory sequences. In this talk, I will first give an overview of existing machine learning methods for sequence-based prediction of regulatory functions (transcription, RNA splicing, etc.). I will then present a unified model of gene regulation that directly learns to predict raw RNA expression profiles from DNA sequence alone. In the second part of the talk, I will discuss methods for designing improved regulatory sequences and highlight their potential for molecular therapies. I will conclude by discussing future opportunities and challenges in developing even better models of gene expression.